The Holidays Are Tough on Your Plumbing
Thanksgiving and Christmas are wonderful, but they are also the busiest time of year for plumbers — and not just because of holiday feasts. More people in your home means more showers, more toilet flushes, more dishes, and more stress on a plumbing system that may already be working at capacity. At Rosco Plumbing, the day after Thanksgiving is consistently one of our busiest days of the year.
Kitchen Survival Tips
The kitchen is ground zero for holiday plumbing disasters. The number one rule: do not pour grease down the drain. Turkey drippings, bacon fat, and cooking oils solidify in your pipes and cause clogs that can back up your entire kitchen drain. Pour grease into a container and throw it in the trash instead.
Your garbage disposal is not invincible, either. Avoid putting fibrous foods like celery, potato peels, or corn husks down the disposal — they wrap around the impellers and cause jams. Bones, coffee grounds, and pasta or rice (which expand with water) are also common offenders. Run cold water for 15 seconds before and after using the disposal to help flush debris through the line.
- Never pour grease or cooking oil down the drain
- Avoid fibrous foods, bones, and starches in the disposal
- Run cold water before, during, and after using the disposal
- Scrape plates into the trash before rinsing in the sink
Related: what to do when your garbage disposal stops working, professional drain cleaning
Bathroom Tips for Holiday Guests
If you have houseguests, your bathrooms are working overtime. Space out showers by at least 10 to 15 minutes to give your water heater time to recover and your drains time to clear. Put a small wastebasket in each bathroom so guests have an alternative to flushing things that should not be flushed — and we mean everything except toilet paper. Wipes, cotton balls, feminine products, and dental floss all belong in the trash, not the toilet.
Keep a plunger in every bathroom. It sounds simple, but many homeowners only keep one in the house. When a guest clogs a toilet and cannot find a plunger, they often flush again — which is how you end up with an overflow at the worst possible moment.
Have Our Number Ready
Despite your best efforts, plumbing emergencies can still happen during the holidays. Save our number — (941) 345-2464 — in your phone before the holiday rush begins. Rosco Plumbing offers emergency service, and we will do our best to get to you quickly so you can get back to enjoying the season with your family.
Related: emergency plumbing services
The holidays should be about family, food, and relaxation — not emergency plumbing calls. A little prevention in the kitchen and bathroom goes a long way. And if something does go wrong, Rosco Plumbing is here for you. Happy holidays from our family to yours.